Summing up the wedding of Mandy and Dylan is pretty simple, as Mandy put it, they wanted it to be about "literally four words: family-oriented, vintage, shabby chic." As Dylan, or Brodie as he is known to those near and dear, is in the armed forces, the couple have had to keep the love alive through long periods apart. It makes sense therefore that the couple were very clear from the very beginning that their wedding was about the important things: the commitment of marriage, their love for each other and their circle of friends and family. The very sweet wedding of a very sweet couple captured by Nikita Lee, and Mandy told us their story...
Mandy and Dylan's get together was a classic case of feisty girl, smitten guy: "I was new to the town he was stationed in, and went out to the local pub with a girlfriend for drinks and dancing. I was in what I call my 'she-woman/man-hating' phase in life. This handsome man had been flirting with me all night but I wanted no part in it until I noticed that this same guy had pulled up his sleeves revealing a tattoo that was the symbol for a band that I loved, Finch. For the first time in my life, I approached a man, explained that I too, was a huge fan of Finch and watched his jaw drop. Most people think the symbol is Woody the Wood Pecker, so it was a surprise to him that I knew what it represented. After that, we talked for a bit, and there was another first: I pilfered his phone from his pocket to give him my number. I was all boldness that evening! He called the next day, and we've been together since! At least that's my version of the story, and our two versions match for the most part with the exception that Brodie will tell you I was flirting back all night. Let's just say it's a possibility..."
For Mandy, the proposal from Dylan came as a bolt out of the blue, she told us how it all happened... "We had been dating for about three years and had already faced several trials including long deployments. We were each committed to the other and marriage had been talked about, but wasn't important as we both knew that we were "it" for each other. We had made our commitment and promises to each other with God as our witness, and that was enough for us. We love exploring and trips, and neither of us had ever been to Seattle as tourists. Brodie had this "spontaneous" idea to go one weekend, so we packed up and hit the road! Two hours later I'm giddy with excitement at being in Pikes Place catching salmon and sightseeing when he mentions booking hotel accommodations. Checking in and changing into nicer attire "because we're in Seattle and need to be presentable so that we can get a table somewhere" lead to a museum of art exhibit, which lead to drinks and appetizers and that led to the Seattle Space Needle. As I was rambling about how this was going to be a difficult day to beat, he got down on one knee in the middle of the room. With literally a hundred people watching he pulled out my great grandmother's ring and asked me to marry him. Tons of "congratulations" later we left the Space Needle, and arrived at one of the finest restaurants in Seattle where Brodie had booked reservations in advance. Our "spontaneous" excursion had actually been meticulously planned for weeks!
Once the ring was on the right finger, it was time to start planning, and for the couple this process was pretty straightforward, the natural choices falling into place as they were clear from the beginning what it was all about: "The whole point of our wedding was to make our pledge and vows of eternal commitment in front of those most important to us: God, family and friends. We wanted a day that was beautiful and simple and showcased our "old-fashioned" values of commitment. The emphasis was on the importance of our marriage, not the wedding."
"The reservoir had been the site of Brodie's grandparents anniversary; it was full of extraordinarily happy memories for him. He had often described it to me, and it sounded amazing but I couldn't quite picture it. We went down for a visit and took a day trip so that I could see it for myself and as soon as we pulled up and I caught a glimpse, I knew in my heart that he was right. It was perfect!"
Sealed with a kiss.
As the bride, most of my accessories were family heirlooms: my Great Grandmother's and Great Aunt's brooches for my hair, my Grandmother's wedding ring and my Great Grandmother's pocket watch. Additionally, a silver half dollar from my father and a Susan B Anthony coin from my grandfather were each placed in a shoe. Inside my dress and over my heart I wore a nametape from Brodie's uniform. I wore aquamarine and diamond earrings Brodie had given me after he got home from deployment for our first anniversary, a white gold and diamond linked heart bracelet (that clasped my something borrowed of a 25 year anniversary locket from my best friend and bridesmaids family) he gave me after returning home from deployment for our 3rd anniversary, and a white and blue diamond necklace of an interlocking infinity symbol and heart that he had given me as a wedding present. "
The whole wedding was "do it yourself", a love-filled effort of family and friends. The whole day was full of personal touches created by someone; being surrounded by family and friends that love us so deeply was more than we ever dreamed of. My parents baked russian teacakes, my favorite treat and wrapped them individually as wedding favours. Additionally they had m&ms made that boasted our picture, wedding date and hearts. Myself and bridesmaids and family also made flower seed wedding favours and my youngest brother, Orman, was responsible for designing and creating the artwork that was used for the invitations, table cards and display banners. Brodie's family friends Ruth and Ron, who, along with their son Justin, organised the flowers, while his cousin Angel did the cake." Exactly as they described: family-oriented, vintage, shabby chic. Lovely.
Mandy has some pretty solid advice for other couples going through the planning phase pre-wedding. Just like us, she believes in grabbing a piece of paper and a pen and having a proper chat about what's important to you both: "I would have to say the most important thing is to sit down together and communicate. Write down the 5 reasons each of you made the choice to date and ultimately marry the other; decide what the most important elements for the two of you are in celebrating your love and expressing it through your marriage and wedding. In the event you find yourself stressed with your future partner over details, you have the 5 most important reasons you are pledging forever; or, if you're straying from your wedding plans and vision, whether it's to please others (or you've been trolling Pinterest), you have your game plan of the ideal wedding in front of you. Mostly, don't get so wrapped up in planning, arranging, and life that you don't leave time for each other."
Honeymoon plans are on hold for the moment, because Brodie deployed shortly after the wedding it will take place after he returns, but that just allows them some time to dream: "We've thrown around the ideas of a European backpacking trip, a tropical vacation, a comfortable cruise or a cross-country camping road trip. We're still undecided but hoping to have made a decision by his homecoming early next year!"
All our love to you both, and stay safe Brodie (can we call you that?) Huge Congratulations!
And thanks of course to Nikita Lee for sharing her lovely work with us www.nikitalee.com
The Wedding Details
- Ceremony and Reception: Galesville Reservoir, Azalea, Oregon
- Wedding Dress: David's Bridal
- Groomsmen's suits: Men's Wearhouse & JC Penney
- Bridesmaid's Accessories: Sassy Siren
- Hair: Jerrine Henson of Blue Door Salon
- Ceremony & Reception Music: Mike's Mobile DJ
- Grill Masters: Bobby and Shela's Cow Creek Cafe
